Triphora spina Verco, 1909

Figure 112

Triphora spina Verco 1909: 280-281, pl. XXII, figs 2-4.

Type locality.

"off Beachport" (South Australia).

Type material.

Lectotype: SAM D. 13449 (fide Marshall 1983; not seen, see Remarks). Paralectotype: NHMUK 1910.3.29.39: 1 specimen, off Beachport, South Australia .

Original description.

Shell sinistral, elongate-subulate-pyramidal. Protoconch of 4 turns, apex prominent and tongue-like, whorls smooth, centrally boldly angled, concave between the median angulations. Suture linear. Spire-whorls 17, with four ribs; the largest is the continuation of the nuclear angulation; above this is a much smaller infra-sutural rib, below it the shell wall seems thinner and less opaque; then comes a bold rib, and close below it a supra-sutural rib. They are slightly tuberculate with low transverse nodules, united by low broad oblique axial costae, most marked between the upper two ribs, but connecting the upper three; the supra-marginal rib is smooth, and wedged in between the two adjacent ribs. Aperture roundly rhomboidal; outer lip crenulated by the spirals, antecurrent into a spur towards the front canal nearly closed at this point, curved to the left, and reflected; back of the aperture pinched at the suture, but no sutural notch. Base smooth, with one spiral. Colour, light-amber tint.

Dim.- Length, 12.4 mm; width, 1.9 mm.

Locality.- Type, 110 fathoms off Beachport, with 2 others perfect and 11 broken, in 150 fathoms 6 moderate, and in 200 fathoms 3 poor; in 90 fathoms off Cape Jaffa, 7 perfect and 14 broken, and in 130 fathoms 3 broken.

It differs from T. subula in its unicarinate protoconch, and in having the 4 ribs throughout.

Remarks.

In his original description, Verco referred to multiple specimens in the type series. Marshall’s (1983) report of the “holotype” in the SAM should be considered a lectotype designation according to Article 74.6 of the Code (ICZN 1999). The label accompanying this lot reports the type locality and the wording “Co-types”, which suggests that the specimens indeed belong to the type series. Because of Marshall’s lectotype designation, these and all other syntypes are now paralectotypes.